Leading Off

The most influential basketball shoe ever returns this month with its 23rd edition. The new Nike Air Jordan is expected to be as venerated as its predecessors.

Send us your stats

The Bee will begin running its weekly statistical leaders for high school basketball on Thursday. It will include points, rebounds, assists and steals leaders for the Stanislaus District. Coaches can fax (238-4551) their leaders each Monday or Tuesday to Richard T. Estrada, or e-mail to restrada@modbee.com. We'd like number of games played, points, rebounds, etc., and per-game averages.

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Kansas State's students started heckling Savannah State players well before tip-off, razzing them about their shoes, their hair. By the end of the game, they were cheering for the Tigers, hoping for at least one basket. Kansas State coach Frank Martin sat calmly during the scoring drought, pleased with his team's defensive effort, but uncomfortable inside, almost cringing with each errant pass and off-target shot. And Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax, all he could do was offer a weak smile while watching his team miss its way into the record books. "It was good -- I was hoping we'd set a record," Broadnax said with a chuckle after it was over. Savannah State set NCAA records for fewest points and worst field goal percentage in a half in the shot-clock era, shooting 4.3 percent while being outscored 48-4 in the second half of an 85-25 loss to Kansas State. Savannah State at least missed the all-time record for fewest points in a half. That distinction goes to North Carolina, which trailed 7-0 to Duke at halftime of a 1979 game when Tar Heels coach Dean Smith deployed his four corners offense. The all-time record for fewest points in a game is six, accomplished first by Arkansas State in a 75-6 loss to Kentucky in 1945, then again by Temple in an 11-6 loss to Tennessee in 1973.

Solo back on roster

Goalkeeper Hope Solo is back on the U.S. women's soccer roster and headed back to China. Solo was dropped from the team after last year's World Cup semifinal, when she was benched for the Americans' 4-0 loss to Brazil in favor of veteran Briana Scurry. Her strong criticism of then-coach Greg Ryan led to her being suspended from the squad for the third-place game and sent home separate from the team. But new coach Pia Sundhage, who will make her debut with the American team at the Four Nations Tournament in Foshan, China, selected Solo and Scurry as her keepers on Tuesday.